1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an oil and fat composition which, when used in daily life similarly to ordinary fats, can lower the blood cholesterol level of a person having a high cholesterol level. It further relates to a food, a drink and a pharmaceutical preparation each containing the oil and fat composition.
2. Prior Arts
Phytosterol is found to be an effective basic material to reduce a hemal (in blood) cholesterol. It is included in vegetable seads. A usual, edible vegetable oil includes about 0.1 to 1.0 wt. % of it.
JP-A 10-179086 (EP-A 839 458) discloses food and drink in which phytosterol is soluble in oil by adding a large amount of vitamin E and an emulsifier. JP-B 56-14087 discloses a process for preparing a filler for soft capsules comprising an oily solvent being compatible with a soy bean residue principally comprising phytosterol. JP-B 6-59164 discloses use as a food additive of a sterine-containing composition of gel type comprising a lipophilic emulsifier having an HLB of less than 8 and an oil or fat being liquid at a normal temperature. Those publications disclose a diacylglycerol as an emulsifier. U.S. Pat. No. 5,843,499 discloses use of a corn fiber oil (about 73% of oil or fat, 6% of diacylglycerol, 4% of free sterol, 14% of sterol ester) as an additive to supplementary food to reduce cholesterol. WO98/01461 discloses application to a medicine of an organic metal complex obtained by reacting a trace amount of a di- or more valent metal ion being useful as a catalyst for metabolism and a trace amount of 1,2-diglyceride with phytostetrol.
The compositions of the above discussed prior arts, however, include too small an amount of diacylglycerols to effect an improved metabolism rate of fats. They include a large amount of vitamin E and a food additive of water-including gel, which cannot be taken similarly to fat in daily life.